Plateau opens Covid-19 test to all

Officials in Plateau State, Sunday said local testing centers for Covid-19 are being expanded to determine and curb its spread.

Governor Simon Lalong in a press statement by his Director of Press, Simon Macham said so far, 6000 people have been tested with more being screened daily at the National Veterinary Research Institute’s Laboratory in Vom and the TB Reference Laboratory at the Jos University Teaching Hospital.

Efforts he said are also being made to start testing at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital.

Testing in Nigeria is currently restricted to people with symptoms or at risk of COVID-19 by travel history or contact with infected persons.

Lalong however in the statement said everyone should get a test for themselves.

He said, “I have continued to encourage people to subject themselves to Covid-19 test for us to treat it before it gets critical.”

The Governor submitted himself and family for test a second time after his Commissioner and Chief of Staff tested positive for the disease.

The result came out negative, but the Governor insisted Covid-19 is “not a death sentence”.

He advised citizens to always take personal responsibility for their health and of others by adhering to government approved guidelines for the control of the disease.